Lubricating device for shafts and car wheel journal axles



Oct. 22, 1935. E ARMSTRONG 2,0l7,884

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR SHAFTS AND CAR WHEEL JOURNAL AXLES Filed Sept. 25, 1933 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES &017.884

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR. SHAFTS AND t CAR WHEEL JOURNAL'AXLES Ernest Armstrong, West Collingwood, N. J. Application September 23, 1933, Serial No. 690,660

2 Claims.

to position the holding member for supporting' l the wick in a proper position. wick holding means are required which must at all times main- 15 tain the i'unctioning position of the wick for bringing oil up to the shaft, or axle, and at the same time the holding means must have all its parts as free as possible from the wearing and destructive effects of the vibration and pounding 20 which the journal box and associated parts, as

the bearing brass and the overlying wedge member, are subjected to. The wedge member transfers the superimposed weight of the supported car, during the running of the train, directly to 25 the bearlng brass, on the axle. My experience with different kinds of wick supporting devices, as parts of lubricating means, for car wheel journals, has led me to observe the destructive effects of vibrations and pounding between the wedge 30 member and the hearing brass upon any part of a wick supporting member held between them. Once the wick drops out of contact with the running axle or shaft, the hearing suflers from the loss of oil. o 3 It is therefore the main object of my invention to provide a form of wick supporting means as part of a lubricating device tor a journal box and its shaft or axle, as is adapted to fit where it 'will be least afiected by any pounding or vibra- 40 tion, and at the same time be held from being dislodged from its proper wick supporting position, and particularly in the case of use for car wheel joumals, to be adapted to have its upper 45 parts occupy and hang from certain restricted spaces available beyond the ends of the wedge member as it rests directly upon the hearing brass, so that, while the upper parts of the wick supporting means hang on the hearing brass, these 50 parts do not come between the wedge member and the bearlng brass, and are therefore free from any pounding that attends the superimposed weight of the car between the wedge and the brass. The engagement of these upper parts of 55 the wick supporting member with the said re- (Cl. 308-8'U stricted spaces holds these parts from dislodge ment therefrom, when once so assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a strong and durable wick holder, which I call a cradle frame, which will fulfill the above named 5 object, having its upper parts fit int'the said restricted spaces, so as to hold the cradle frame in position to properly support a wick and preferably be made of a tough metal for cheapness, strength and durability, and at the same time 10 have reinf orced parts for longer wear. I

With these and other objects, which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in certain construction, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawing in connection with a car wheel journal box. The device is described in detail, its functions and operation are explained, and what I claim is set forth.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lubricating zo device, embodying my invention, showing the cradle frame and'wick pads attached.

Figure 2 is a vertical axial' section of a journal box and axle, including one form of my lubricating device mounted therein.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the top bearing brass, of the journal shown in Figure 2.

In the figures, the journal box ID is shown to have the usual inclined cover I I, with the car wheel axle !2, the dust guard I3, the oil cavity !4, the top bearing brass !5, and the wedge !6. Fitting over and around the sides of the bearing brass !5, is the cradle frame I 1, of the lubricating device s. The cradle frame ll is preterably made of heavy tough wire, formed with upstanding ends !9 and 20, each formed as an inverted U in shape, and each shaped to fit the upper contour of the respective end of the bearing brass !5, over which it lays. It will be observed that the end I 9 is polygonal, having a straight top part 2l, inclined side parts 22 and vertical parts 23, adapted to lay over and fit the upper prismatic surface of the hearing brass !5. Welded to the top part 2l, is a reinforcing member 24, serving to strengthen the top part against wear. The end 20 is curved, tting the upper curved surface of the rear end lip 25, of the bearing brass |5. It will be observed that the ends I9 and 20, of the cradle frane Il, will be free from any pinching or superimposed weight passing down thru the wedge !6 into the hearing brass l5. Integral with the lower extremities of the frame ends IS and 20 are the bar portions 26 form of wick can be hung from the bar portions 26 and 21, of the' cradle frame ll, I prefer to use the !ab-ic sheet wick 28, having a loop 29, within the oil cavity li, which has side portions 30 and 3l, with pads 32 and 33, at the upper parts oi the respective side portions 30 and 3I. These'pads 32 and 33 are !ormed by a long pile 34, woven with the wick, like the heavy pile of a thick Wilton carpet, having the pile 34 contacting the side suri'aces of the axle !2. The wick 28 is preierably made narrower in width than the spacing between the iframe ends !3 and 20. The

bar portions 26 and 21 come directly below the longitudinal lugs 35, of the hearing brass !5, so as to hold these bar portions 26 and 21 from jumping up, while the ends IS and 20 hold the frame l'l in hanging position at the restricted spaces beyond the wedge IS and over the ends of the hearing brass !5. The end 20, of the !rame I'I, has an up wardly bent portion 36 and a reinforcing bar 31, welded thereto. The portion 36, with its bar 31, occupies the restricted space 38, between the prismatic end of the hearing brass |5 and the top wall of the journal box n, so as to effectively hold in place the upper part of this end !9, of !rame l'i. The curved end 20 lies over the lip 25, and is beneath the extending lug members 40, and is thus held against vertical displacement. Inasmuch as the body of the wedge IS is between the ends e and 20, of the cradle iframe l'l, this irame is held in position against end displacement. The bar portions 26 and 21 ot the frame l 'I are located alongside the running surface of the axle- I2, to be a little above a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the 'axle l2. Thewick 28, hanging from these bar portions 26 and 21, has its respective side portions 30 and 3| looped around the respective bar portions 26 and 21, and riveted together at 39, to be fixed thereon. It will be noticed in Figure 3, that the pads 32 and 33 lay against, and partly around'. the running surface of the axle z, above: the horizontal line 55, passing through the axis, o! the axle l2, while below this line, the pads with the wick, hang straight down until the U-portion of the wick is reached.

Any particles of dirt, grit or metal, lodging in the pile 34, of the pads 32 and 33, will have opportunity to shake loose therefrom during the vibration, attending the running of the axle |2, on account or the upright position of the pads 32 and 33, which lightly contact the running surface o! the axle |2. While the particles of dirt, grit and metal wfll gravitate into the oil cavity Il, at the loop 29, the oil is drawn up by the wick 23, and

of the hearing brass !5, beyond the Contacting 5 area of the wedge IG with the hearing brass !5, are there held from dislodgem'ent from these restricted places, and at the same time are free from the pounding area between the wedge IS and the hearing brass l5. o

Modifications of the above described and herewith illustrated embodiment ofmy invention, including an adaptation for shafting, can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said invention. I therefore wish to include all 13 forms of pad lubricators which come within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:-

1. within a car 'wheel journal box, having an oil cavity, an axle of a car wheel, a hearing mem- 20 ber upon said axle and a wedge member mounted upon said hearing member, a lubricating device comprising a wire holding means and a wick, said wire holding means including a wire member holding said wick against said axle, said wick 23 connecting with said oil cavity, spaced upstanding wire ends to said last named member, hanging upon the ends of said hearing member, with said wedge member between said ends, saidwire member being free from the hearing contact area of 80 said wedge member and said hearing member,

and reinforcing pieces integral with said upstand- 2. A` lubricating device within a car wheel jour- 33 nal box, having also within the said box, an axle of a car wheel, a bearing member resting' upon the said axle, a wedge member, having a hearing con tact area with said hearing member, shorter than said hearing member, and on top of the same, and 40 there being an oil cavity below said axle within said box, said lubricating device including a wick teaching down into said cavity, and wick holding means supported by hanging upon the ends of hearing member, said wick holding means comprising two spaced end members. positioned upon said hearing member to hang across the ends of said bearing member to be out of the. said hearing area and v free from pressure from said wedge I member, to have said wedge member between said' end members, and a wick supporting member integral with the depending ends of said end members, and positioned to support said wick against said axle.

ERNEST ARMSTRONG. 

